Discussion (32) ¬

So I’ve been re-reading the archives, trying to make sense of what allowed Nicodemus to perform the act he just performed. It’s still unclear what the connection is between the dragon and the sword, but it’s more extensive than I remembered. The following is a catalog of links related to revelations about Nicodemus and the Sword of Kings.

The human kings were given the Sword of Kings. There is no mention who the giver was.

When Alex wakes up, the sword disappears from Dreamland, even if Alex isn’t holding the sword at the moment. Likewise, when he goes to sleep, the sword necklace disappears from earth. The sword is one of the few things that actually passes between worlds (albeit in different forms for each world) instead of merely projecting into Dreamland.

According to Orion, once the sword has passed from one ruler to the next, Alex may no longer use it. But he doesn’t state how he knows this, or what’s required to “pass” the sword. Dan has certainly held this sword necklace before, even if he didn’t put it around his neck. It certainly doesn’t work with ordinary humans not in line for the throne, such as Nicole.

There is a precedent in which a rightful human king was stripped of his kingship by other Dreamlanders over a lie from Abaddon. This indicates that the King of Dreamland is still somehow subject to higher powers in that world. In contrast, King Oberon states that there is no vote to determine sovereignty, so once again it’s unclear just who has any authority over the Sword of Kings.

Nicodemus has shown other capacities for magical ability. He magically warded the elven amulet. He can catch and destroy Nastajia’s energy arrows. He placed a magic barrier covering the Tomb of Ancient Kings to prevent Dreamlanders from entering. And his instant response to Alex’s discovery of the sword might indicate Nicodemus was able to remotely sense this touch, as well as teleport into the tomb’s shadows (though he might have had some help with that last one). Finally, it’s been suggested that Nicodemus magically hid the entrance to the Tomb of Ancient Kings, although Alex’s perspective suggests Nicodemus might have taken a more mundane approach to hiding it. But despite all these examples, the last week is the first time in 1700+ pages that we’ve seen Nicodemus cast a spell “on screen,” which is why it was still so surprising.

That’s a lot of links. But I hope it helps other readers remember things they may have forgotten, as I did.

I think my post was too long with too many links, that it triggered some sort of red flag in the system. My comment was stuck in “awaiting moderation” status for most of the day, so few others have probably seen it yet.

I’m of the opinion that letting Dan hold the necklace is not the same as “giving” the Sword to him. However, Dan wearing the necklace implies more ownership than mere remote inspection…so I think that’s what Orion was trying to get at with his lecture to Alex. Orion had no concerns with Alex letting someone else hold the Sword (even he has borrowed it from Alex), but letting someone from the waking world wear was the trigger for the lecture. 🙂 Thus Alex’s defeatist attitude on today’s page since Dan’s wearing the necklace.

Regarding Ramses being stripped of his kingship and the apparent conflict with Oberon’s statement about Dreamlanders not being about to “vote to determine sovereignty”…This may not actually be a true conflict…and it may also answer the question of what basis exists for Nic having the power to magically transfer the Sword to Dan. 🙂

Think of it this way…the people of Dreamland do not have the right to vote on sovereignty. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they can’t determine that the reigning king needs to be stripped of his crown. That more implies that they don’t have the right to determine who is the rightful ruler. Remember, Oberon was talking to Alex when he said that, and Alex has been a kind of “King Pro-Tem”…essentially standing in as King because Dan (the rightful heir) couldn’t get into Dreamland. Alex wanted the Dreamlanders to validate his right to rule, when he technically didn’t have the “right” in the first place…he obtained the Sword thanks to a loophole and a series of unexpected events.

What Alex was asking for is different than the people of Dreamland determining that a reigning King is bad for the realm and stripping him of his crown. When you think about it, what did Nic just do to Alex? He stripped him of the Sword…he stripped the kingship away from Alex. What did they do to Ramses? They stripped him of his kingship…meaning they stripped him of the Sword…which would have passed to the next heir. It sounds to me like Nic’s done this before. Yes, he was more or less performing a “system reboot” with Alex by closing the loophole, but he was also directing the Sword to the next heir…Dan. I’d be willing to believe that Nic was the one who cast the spell that took the Sword from Ramses.

And there we have our (potential…if I’m right) answer about what precedent is there for Nic having this power to send the Sword to the heir. 🙂 I probably wouldn’t have been able to make that connection in my head without your big long post of awesomeness, so thanks again!

I’m thinking some of the same things now as well. It’s amusing, because I had previously assumed Nicodemus had no power over the sword due to the sword’s recurring outbursts against him. But Nicodemus clearly does have that power after all. His relationship with the sword almost seems paternal, like a father scolding a misbehaving child. And I’m beginning to think that analogy might not be far from the truth.

In my previous reads, I had always viewed Nicodemus and the Sword of Kings as timeless aspects of Dreamland that were just always there. But now I suddenly find myself interested in the origin story of both.

This comment actually makes me think Nic and the Sword’s relationship is like, well, twin brothers. Light and Dark, yin and yang, both a part of Dreamland and want what’s best for it but in their own ways. Nic the more meddlesome of the advisors and the Sword taking more of an observation role.
Atually, this idea makes no sense, but it amused me.

I don’t think it’s that annoying. 🙂 I just think that Dan’s as far on the “thinking” end of the spectrum as Alex has always been on the “action” end. He’s the Prometheus to Alex’s Epimetheus…and honestly, I’d prefer to be around (and have as a king) the Prometheus guy…though I’m sure the Epimetheus guy would be good for a few laughs (i.e. people who try and fail to do ridiculous things and cause themselves pain). 😛

Well, it is a reasonable question. I suppose there really is only one way to be absolutely sure. Unfortunately they may not have the luxury of testing it out. The whacky time discontinuity between the waking world and Dreamland seems to work based on Drama. If coming back to Dreamland at the exact moment you left would be most dramatic then that’s what happens. If the length of time you spend awake equals the time that passes in Dreamland would be more dramatic, then that happens. I think we’re in the latter situation, which would mean they really don’t have time to be doing experiments.

Let’s hope Alex doesn’t give up that easy! But he’ll inform Dan that Nicodemus did his reboot magic all because Alex refused to lead a platoon of wraiths against Abbadon!
He’ll say Nastajia is lost to him forever…or is she???

If Alex has gained the smarts I think he has, he’ll remind Dan about Orion’s commentary on the passing of kingship with the passing of the Sword. The more urgent concerns here (IMO) are:
– Where will Dan wake up when he finally goes to sleep?
– Will Alex tell everyone (in a timely fashion) about the pending invasions…and his refusal to cooperate with Nic?
– Will they be able to get to the portal with any kind of speed so that Nastajia’s parents and Alex can join the fight to save Dreamland…or will they fight on the waking-world front instead?

on this idea of Alex getting to the portal…i’m wondering if Merlin can be woken up so he can help our heroes. Wasn’t he able to go back and forth with his and Nivienne’s magic?
He wakes up, jump in the nearest puddle, reunites with Nivienne through her pool, redirects the pool to the lake near Alex and Dan where Alex can jump in and back up Dan.

Plus Merlin’s physical body was supposedly magicked into a tree in France…and the guys are in the US…so they’d have to fly to France to get Merlin’s body…and then they’d have to somehow get his Dreamland-self (which is in Seraphopolis…where no one can easily go) re-linked to his body…and we don’t even know if Niviene is okay after she was attacked by the Nightmare beasties, and how would they communicate to her that she would need to activate the Pool of Auryn and focus it on that place in France so that Merlin could work his magic and jump into the pool to be in Dreamland?

Earth may never have been a consideration when that treaty was drafted. But I’m guessing Abaddon’s plans to simultaneously invade Dreamland will still suffice. How that plays out largely depends on how the magic barring adults from Dreamland was created and enforced. If Nicodemus alone is capable of altering that magic, he has a profound choice to make here… especially given that he should now be reconsidering Abaddon’s lie about King Ramses II.

How would Abaddon’s invasion of Earth result in adults entering Dreamland? That’s a bunch of Nightmare Realm beasties going to Earth, and while it’s possible that a few humans might try to go through the portal into the Nightmare Realm, I doubt it will happen.

I think there will be some laughs if and when Dan enters DL, and tries to fly for the first time… “WHOOOOAAAAOOAAAAHHHHHAAAAAAA-OOOOF!” X-D
And that’s a good question Dan poses.
How about giving the necklace back to Alex and let him try to go to sleep and see what happens?
Can Dan refuse to accept kingship, and thus “undo” Nic’s magic pass?